Library State control - anarchist beliefs a crime?

Rubber Ritchie | 24.10.2003 11:45 | Education | London

In Northampton library I tried to look at the Anarchist Book Fair website and was denied.

Access Denied The requested document,

http://freespace.virgin.net/anarchist.bookfair, will not be shown.
Reason: Found in a denied list(s): Crime.

Northamptonshire County Council's Internet usage policy does not allow access to this information.

Rubber Ritchie

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

can you post the policy or make a formal reuest why the site is blocked?

24.10.2003 12:25

i'd be interested to know their reasons - seems like it would be fair game to campaign against suck blocking

interested

Contacting them.

24.10.2003 13:13

Go to

http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/Governing/Contact%20Us.htm

Something I just mailed them...

"Since when did anarchism become a crime in Britain?

Anarchism has a history dating back to the mid-late 19th century, when it was on an equal footing with the marxists, who eventually threw the anarchists out of the first international. It is a form of stateless socialism, that has been put to effect during the Spanish Civil War, and is now a major player in the anti-capitalist movement. Precursors to it can be seen in indiginous peoples, the diggers, levellers, ranters and other social movements of the world.

Of course, it would be impossible to find this out by using internet in your libraries, because you deny users from reading about it. The error message

"Access Denied The requested document,

http://freespace.virgin.net/anarchist.bookfair, will not be shown.
Reason: Found in a denied list(s): Crime. "

comes up on screen. This is outrageous, and I would like a response as to how you justify this policy."

Librarian
Homepage: http://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/Governing/Contact%20Us.htm

Vigilance.

24.10.2003 15:26

This needs to be watched closely. Mayby it's just paranoia,but are Northants being used as a testbed for a countywide ban? So far my 'local' Kent ones are still ok for
anarchist sites etc but yer never know.

that is nothing

24.10.2003 18:52

At my college they have blocked indymedia!!!
fortunatly i am able to obtain internet by non-conventional methods but otherwise i would be fuked as are many w/c students i guess.

w/c student

Regarding: Library State control - anarchist beliefs a crime?

26.10.2003 02:41

Regarding: Library State control - anarchist beliefs a crime?

I hope that they have not created a specific denial list for political causes?
Although I have not tried to access the net from a public library I do know that the so called baby sitting programs, such as Cyber Patrol, not only block just sex sites, but do block quiet a few political sites as well!

http://www.mit.edu:8001/activities/safe/

The MIT Student Association for Freedom of Expression (SAFE).
They work to organize support for freedom of speech and other forms of freedom of expression. This group has been blacklisted many times by organizations such as Cyber Patrol :( for content including Militant/Extreme Quest/Illegal/Gamble Violence/Profanity/Full Nude/Part Nude/Cult /Drugs.
What do you expect from the American corporate sector? Please do not be fooled by the advocates of these mechanisms, refuse to be baby sat and excluded 

Mark Wood
mail e-mail: marky_ace@yahoo.com
Homepage: http://www.vividimage.net.enta.net/foi